This invention relates generally to internally illuminated signs. More particularly, the present invention relates to internally illuminated emergency signs, such as exit signs.
Most prior art emergency signs include housings for containing all of the internal components of the sign. Such housings are generally comprised of multiple independent parts, which are held together by screws, clips, and other such fasteners. Since these emergency signs are generally mounted to ceilings or to walls at or near the ceiling, difficulties arise in assembling the sign housings with the various screws required to hold the housing together. Another problem arises when bulbs or the auxiliary power supply of the sign must be replaced, since the housing must be substantially disassembled in order to change the bulbs or power supply.
Furthermore, most prior art emergency signs are separately manufactured for a particular manner of mounting the sign housing.
Consequently, each emergency sign must be individually purchased, depending upon whether it is to be flush-mounted to the ceiling, flush-mounted to a wall, or suspended from a ceiling or wall away from an adjacent wall.
Briefly stated, the invention in a preferred form is an emergency sign which includes a vertically extending sign body having a lower panel portion and an upper container portion. The panel portion includes laterally spaced right and left panels where at least one of the panels has a stencil forming the sign display. The upper container portion is in optical communication with the display and forms a longitudinally extending container. A light module disposed within the container portion of the housing has multiple light emitting diodes for illuminating the display. The light module receives its primary power from an external electrical supply. A swivel mounting assembly pivotally connects the container portion of the housing to a mounting plate assembly which receives a mechanical mounting member of the external electrical supply to mount the sign to a structure.
The right and left inner, side surfaces of the container have oppositely disposed, longitudinally extending channels. An electrical connector receiving power from the external electrical supply is mounted proximate to a first end of the container. In addition to the light emitting diodes, the light module includes a circuit board, an electrical circuit carried on the circuit board, and at least one circuit component. The side edges of the circuit board are slidingly received in the channels of the container to mount the light module within the container such that male electrical pins in the distal end portion of the circuit board are positioned for engagement by the female electrical receptacles of the electrical connector. The electrical circuit, light emitting diodes, and circuit component are positioned on the circuit board at a distance from the proximal end of the circuit board such that the circuit board must be moved longitudinally a sufficient distance to disengage the male pins from the female receptacles before the electrical circuit, the light emitting diodes, or the other circuit components are withdrawn from the container.
The swivel mounting assembly includes a swivel mounting member having a longitudinally extending platform having and an integral first swivel mount which extends laterally from the first end portion of the platform. A second swivel mount is mounted to the second end portion of the swivel mounting member. The first and second swivel mounts each have at least one positioning tab which extends longitudinally into the first and second ends of the container, respectively, to pivotally mount the swivel mounting assembly to the sign body.
It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved emergency sign.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an emergency sign that may be mounted to a horizontal ceiling, a vertical wall, or a slanted ceiling/wall without the use of additional components and without extensive modification.